Pressure

Water pressure within the home can vary based upon the location, type and height of the property, as well as the type of appliances used and how much water is being used by other customers.

Water pressure can vary at different times of the day. Pressure is normally higher late at night when very little water is being taken from the mains network and most people's taps are turned off. In the morning when people are taking a bath or shower, or watering their garden on a hot evening, there is a bigger demand for water which can cause low pressure.

Water suppliers’ statutory service standard level of mains water pressure is 10 metres/head (or one bar). This means there is enough force/pressure to push the water to a height of 10m.

This is measured at the point where the water leaves the water suppliers’ pipework and enters yours (usually the outside stop valve or property boundary).

As a guide, if you have a suitable single service pipe, the first tap in the home (this is usually the kitchen tap) should be able to fill a 4.5 litre (one gallon) bucket in 30 seconds, with all other taps and appliances turned off. Another way of putting it is enough water pressure to fill a cold water storage cistern in a two storey house roofspace.

It is possible to make changes to your internal plumbing to improve your water flow. For example by ensuring your stop tap is fully open. You could also check that any systems that depend on the supply pressure are set to the statutory minimum level of 1 bar/10 metres head.

For further help and advice contact your water supplier.

Water companies are required to supply water at a pressure that will allow water to reach to the top storey of most homes. Although, there are some exceptions to this.

This is measured at the point where the water leaves the water suppliers pipework and enters yours (usually the outside stop valve or property boundary).

As a guide, if you have a suitable single service pipe, the first tap in the home (this is usually the kitchen tap) should be able to fill a 4.5 litre (one gallon) bucket in 30 seconds, with all other taps and appliances turned off. Another way of putting it is enough water pressure to fill a cold water storage cistern in the roof space of a two storey house.

Most water companies will aim to provide at least 10 metres head (approximately 14 psi or 1.0 bar) at the end of their communication pipes. They are committed to a guaranteed standard of service to provide a minimum of 7 metres static head (0.7 bar). You can find more information about this by contacting your local water company or visiting Ofwat’s website www.ofwat.gov.uk